I'm particularly excited about the most recent one, because I can walk there. When I lived in Washington, DC, we lived just one block from an excellent Indian restaurant, the White Tiger. That was a dangerous proximity!
We walked through the rain several blocks last week to the newly opened Gandhi Mahal at 3009 27th Avenue South--right next door to Midori's Floating World Cafe. Gandi Mahal is the site of the former Greek restaurant, Calypso, and other previously unsuccessful ventures.
As the Rake Magazine notes, it's unclear if the Mahatma would approve of the seafood and beef[!] entrees. The likeness of Gandhi looks over each table, making you uncomfortable to order a non-vegetarian dish. We compromised and got a chicken entree and a vegetarian thali (essentially a "sampler") to share. Both were excellent. I highly recommend the Chicken Tikki Masala. At first I thought the prices were high for Minneapolis standards. Each entree is $10-$16. But the portions are generous and the food is near perfect. Unless you are fairly hungry, two adults could split a single entree. (But then you wouldn't have leftovers for home--and what is better than 2nd day Indian for lunch the next day?)
Because they are new, no liquor license yet. But I believe you can bring your own wine and serve yourself in the meantime. The restaurant can provide wine glasses. AND, there is a liquor store directly across the street! So you can order your food, and then figure out what kind of wine works best as you take a quick stroll across the street. (I like a dry German Reisling with spicy Indian food myself.)
Two funny things about the restaurant. First, mahal means palace, which isn't the first thing I associate with Gandhi. Second, they don't have a website. Seriously, if you have a new business that serves customers, you need a website. It doesn't have to be fancy. It should have a picture, your menu, links to any good reviews, a phone number, address, and hours. Nothing flashy. Just spend the $50 to host and put it up!
Thankfully, they do have an email address. Here are the details:
Gandhi Mahal
Indian cuisine, lassi bar, and thali-tapas
3009 27th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-729-5222
612-729-5953
gandhimahal@gmail.com
Indian cuisine, lassi bar, and thali-tapas
3009 27th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-729-5222
612-729-5953
gandhimahal@gmail.com
1 comment:
re:"likeness of Gandhi looks over each table, making you uncomfortable to order a non-vegetarian dish."
Wow! Is that how Gandhi would want YOU to feel?
Gandhi, a peacemaker who brought meat eaters together with vegans; and who brought Sikkhs together with Hindus of many sects, and who brought Christians together with Muslims--
WWGD? Yikes, I thought that other mantra of WW-D was staunch and oppressive enough--but please don't stitch Gandhi into the dualistic guilt and shame based western model! After all, there was so much more to the man (have you ever read Henry Millers account of escorting gandhi's men through Paris?).
Somehow, here in the west, we imagine Gandhi as a spiritual and venerated "peacemaking old guy"--as if he just popped onto the earth that way--but those pictures at Gandhi Mahal actually portray "the other Gandhi" who led a life before veneration-- a Gandhi who himself evolved from a vegetarian into a strict fruititarian.
It seems a shock to some in the west when leaders like Martin Luther King, or Gandhi are seen as "real people."
But guilt over bringing people of many beliefs together for the sake of peace? Oy vey!
Next time pick the table with the picture of Gandhi putting smiles on the faces of British unionist women, or the table where he wears the sidepinned hat of a South African gentleman, or the lawyerly photo with thte tight English tailored suit--other 'fashions' he evolved 'away' from;-)
Then,maybe order some papadam or pakora with a lassi to get your tastebuds ready for some good eats! Enjoy our halal food--seasoned with Kosher salt--and relax! I think Gandhi would encourage that kind of feeling...
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